Carton tray



May 30, 1967 K. R. PERSSON CARTON TRAY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1965 May 30, 1967 K. R. PERSSON CARTON TRAY 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug.

May 30, 1967 K. R. PERSSON CARTON TRAY Filed Aug. 2, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 30, 1967 K. R. PERSSON CARTON TRAY 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 3, 1965 May 30, 1967 K. R. PERSSQN CARTON TRAY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 "Filed Aug. 1965 United States Patent Ofilice 3,322,322 Patented May 30, 11967 Sweden Filed Aug. 2, 1965, Ser. N 476,298 Claims priority, application Sweden, Aug. 7, 1964, 9,604/64 9 Claims. (-Cl. 2293d) This invention relates to carton trays and particularly to trays for cakes.

Such trays are usually in the form of boxes in which the cakes are placed and retained by a film of plastics which is wrapped around the box and sealed to form a cake-retaining wrapper around the box. The side walls and end walls of the box are locked in erected position by means of more or less complicated corner locks which require corresponding complicated and comparatively expensive erecting machines. Further, such a box fits only a certain size of cakes which is determined by the distance between the side walls. If the cakes are smaller than this distance they have an undesirable freedom of lateral movement so as to be likely to be damaged or displaced relative each other and they cannot assume the positions intended to result in a desired appealing appearance of neatly arranged cakes in the box.

The general object of this invention is to provide a carton tray which may be erected and locked in a comparatively simple manner and which is rigid and provides sufficient lateral support for the cakes or other articles to be packed irrespective of the sizes of the cakes within certain limits.

These and other objects will be disclosed more in detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings in which three embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example.

FIG. 1 is a blank for erecting a tray according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective detail view of a corner portion of one end of a tray for a blank shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a perspective bottom view of a cut out corner portion of the other end of the tray erected from the blank in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a blank ing to the invention,

FIG. 5 shows still another embodiment of the blank according to the invention,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of one end of the tray raised from the blank of FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of one end of the tray erected from the blank of FIG. 5.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the blank is provided With longitudinal fold lines It), 11, 112, 13, I4, 15, 16, 17, transverse fold lines 18, 19, Z0, Z1, 22, longitudinal slits 23, transverse slits 2d and transverse bottom slits 25 and 26a, 26b. The blank is thus divided into a central bottom portion 27, two side support panels 28, two longitudinal side walls 2%, locking flaps 36 at the ends of the side walls, a transverse top wall portion 31 at the slit 25, a transverse top wall portion 32 extended with a support flap 33, two end walls 34, 35 and two locking tongues 36, 37.

In contrast to carton boxes in general the tray according to the invention has its bottom 27, 28 connected with the upper edges of the side walls 29 as will be seen from FIG. 2. The side support panels 28 extend obliquely upwards from the side edges of the bottom portion 27 to the upper edges of the side walls 29.

accord- To obtain this specific form of the tray the :fold lines 1 11 extending between the transverse slits 25, 26a, 2611 are offset outwardly in relation to the fold lines 14, 16 and 15, 17, respectively, so that the width between the fold lines 10, Ill will be greater than the width of the transverse top wall portions 31, 32 between the fold lines, l6, l7 and lid, 15, respectively, thereby enabling the 'bottom portion 27 to be pressed downwardly in relation to the top wall portions.

As will be seen from FIG. 1 36 and 37 is greater than the line 19 and slit 26a and between the fold line Ztl and slit 25, respectively, so that the free edge portions 36a and 37a of the respective tongue will be able to snap over the slit edge of the bottom portion as illustrated in FIG. 2 for the tongue 36. The tongue 37 is locked in the same manner.

Due to the side the length of the tongues distance between the fold portions 26b of the transverse slit 26a, 26b a relatively long support flap 33 is formed at one end of the tray, which serves as an inclined support surface and facilitates to hold the cakes or other flat articles in an overlapping row.

The side walls 29 are locked due to the fact that the locking flaps are engaged between the transverse top wall portions 32, 31 and the tongues 36, 37, respectively.

Retraction of the locking tongues from the locked position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is prevented by the slits 24 which are offset relative to the fold lines 18 and 21 to form a slot 24a (FIG. 3) when the tongue is folded to its final position. A small projection 30a of the lower edge of the respective locking flaps 30 will engage this slot Mia and there-by prevent retraction of the locking tongue.

The blank in FIG. 4 is provided with longitudinal fold lines 4%), 4-1, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 4-7, 48, 48a, transverse fold lines 49, 5t 51, 52, 53, longitudinal slits 5d, 55 and transverse slits 6, 7. The blank is thus divided into a central bottom portion 8, two side support panels 59, two longitudinal side walls 60, locking flaps 61, 62 at the ends of the side walls, a transverse top wall portion 63 at the slit 56, a transverse top wall portion 64 at the slit 57, two end walls 65, 66, a locking tongue 67 extended from end wall 65, and a locking tongue having a rearward portion 68 and a forward portion 69 to be folded relative one another along the fold line 53. The forward tongue portion 69 has two triangular recesses 70 at its free end edge and the rearward tongue portion 68 is at its ends extended with triangular abutment flaps 71.

The tray in FIGS. 4 and 6 has the same general crosssection as in FIGS. 1 to 3 due to the fact that the fold lines 40, 41 are offset outwardly relative to the fold lines 44, 45 and 46, 47, respectively. Further also in this embodirnent the locking flaps 61 are engaged between the transverse top wall portions 63, 64 and the locking tongues 67 and 68, respectively, to maintain the side walls in their erected position.

As will be seen from FIG. 6 retraction of the locking tongues 68, 69 is prevented due to the fact that the rearward tongue portion 68 is folded up around the lower edge of the locking flaps 61 which thereby prevent retraction of the tongue. The same action is provided by the locking flaps 62 at the opposite end of the tray which will be readily understood from the blank in FIG. 4.

The forward tongue portion 69 has its end edge snapped over the edge of the slit 57 and engages the edges of the side support flaps 59 by means of the recesses 70. The top 53 of the two portions 68, 69 is located just below the wall portion 64 and somewhat inwardly in relation to the front edge of wall portion 64. Thereby the tongue will form a support for the wall portion 64 and cakes or other articles resting against the tongue portion 69 may be stopped from sliding by abutting against the end portion of the wall 64.

The blank in FIG. 5 is provided with longitudinal fold lines 75, 76, '77, 78, '79, 8t), 81, 82, transverse fold lines 83, 84, 85, 86, 8'7, transverse slits 88, 89, 90. The blank is thus divided into a central bottom portion 91, two side support panels 92, two longitudinal side walls 93, two bottom panels 94, looking flaps 95 at the ends of the end walls 96, 97, locking flaps 98 at the ends of the side walls 94, and locking tongues 99 extending from the end walls. Between the slits 88, 89 and the adjacent trans verse fold lines 84 and 85, respectively, are transverse top wall portions 100, 101.

As in FIGS. 1 and 4 the fold lines 77, 78 between the transverse slits $8, 89 are offset outwardly relative to the fold lines 81, 82, respectively, to obtain the sloping side support panels 92 as shown in FIG. 7.

The bottom panels 94 hingedly connected to the lower edges of the side walls reinforce the tray and form together with the bottom portion 91 and the locking tongues 99 a practically continuous bottom surface between the side walls and the end walls. Furthermore, the locking flaps 98 at the ends of the bottom flap contribute to establish an effective lock of the side walls to the end walls and thereby to lock the tray in its erected position with the locking tongues in their locked positions as shown in FIG. 7.

With reference to FIG. 7 the locking flap has at its base the same width as the bottom flap 94 and tapers slightly upwardly. The locking flap 95 of the end wall 96 fits snugly around the outer edge 98a of the flap 9% at the lower end of the edge and thereby a positive lock is obtained of the bottom flap 94 and the side wall 93 connected therewith. The end wall is in turn efiectively locked by the locking fiap 95 extending between the top wall portion 1M and the bottom flap 9 Finally, the locking tongue 99 supports the end portion of the bottom 94 and has its free end edge 9% snapped upwardly over the edge 91a of the bottom portion 91 so that the locking tongue will be somewhat resiliently bent in this position and thereby safely held in engagement with the slit edge 91a.

What I claim is:

1. A carton tray made of a single blank comprising a bottom, two side walls and two end walls, said bottom comprising a central longitudinal portion tangentially connected with two inclined side panels extending between the side edges of said central bottom portion and the upper edges of the side walls, a transverse slit at each end of said bottom and spaced from the adjacent end wall to leave a transverse top wall portion extending between the upper edges of the side walls and hingedly connected therewith along fold lines which are offset upwardly relative to the fold lines between said side panels and the upper edges of the side walls, each end wall being at its upper edge hingedly connected with the adjacent transverse top wall and at its lower edge extended with a locking tongue having its free end snapped over the slit edge at the end of said central bottom panel, the end walls and the side walls having at their meeting ends cooperating flaps to lock the tray in erected position when said locking tongue engages said slit edge.

2. A tray as defined in claim 1, in which each side panel is at its end extended with locking flaps located along the inner side of the adjacent end wall and engaged by said locking tongue at their lower edges.

3. A tray as defined in claim 1, in which said locking tongue has a transverse fold line about at the middle of its length, whereby the locking tongue forms a V-section having a rear portion extending obliquely upwardly from the lower edge of the adjacent side panel, and a front portion extending obliquely downwardly and having its free edge resting on said central bottom panel, said front portion engaging the edges of said side panels to lock the tray in its erected position.

4. A tray as defined in claim 3, in which cut-outs are provided in the end edge of said front portion, the edges of said side panels engaging said cut-outs.

5. A tray as defined in claim 3, in which the folded knee formed by said rear and front portions of said tongue is located in close proximity to the transverse top wall portion located thereabove.

6. A tray as defined in claim 1, in which each side wall is at its lower edge extended with a longitudinal bottom flap having its free inner edge located adjacent the lower edge of the adjacent side panel, each bottom flap having its end portions extending over a portion of said locking tongue, each end of said bottom flaps having a locking flap extending upwardly along the inner side of the adjacent end wall, and said end wall being at its ends extended with looking flaps disposed along the inner side of the adjacent side wall and having a width substantially equal to the height between the transverse top wall portion and the adjacent bottom flap to lock the flap therebetween, the locking flap of said bottom flap having a side edge located close to the hinged connection between the end wall and its locking flap whereby said side edge will engage said locking flap and lock the bottom flap and side wall in the erected position of the tray.

7. A tray as defined in claim 1, in which the side walls are at each end extended with looking flaps engaged by the locking tongue, the lower edges of said locking tongues having projections which engage corresponding slots in the locking tongue to lock the tray in its erected position.

8. A carton tray blank comprising a substantially rectangular piece of carton divided by longitudinal and transverse fold lines and slits into a bottom, a pair of opposite side walls and end walls, each end wall being extended with a locking tongue hingedly connected with the end wall along a transverse fold line, a transverse slit across the bottom adjacent each end wall and located at a distance therefrom which is less than the length of the locking tongue, the positions of the fold lines between the bottom and the side walls located between said slit being offset outwardly relative to those portions of said fold lines located at the ends of the blank, a pair of parallel fold lines dividing the bottom portion between said slits into a central bottom portion and two side panel portions, said side walls and end walls having locking flaps at their ends adapted to cooperate in the erected tray for locking the same in erected position.

Q A blank for forming a carton tray, comprising opposite end walls and longitudinal side walls hingedly connected to a substantially rectangular bottom panel along transverse longitudinal fold lines, respectively, a transverse slit adjacent each end of the bottom panel, said slits dividing said bottom panel into two transverse top wall panels extending between the end portions of said longitudinal fold lines, the intermediate portions of said longitudinal fold lines being offset outwardly relative to said fold line end portions to provide an intermediate bottom panel portion having a greater width than the extension of said top wall panels between said fold line end portions, said transverse slits being extended at their ends with slit end portions connecting the adjacent ends of the intermediate slit portions and the slit end portions, said bottom panel being provided with two parallel and spaced longitudinal fold lines dividing the bottom panel into a central bottom panel portion and two side support panels, said side walls being hingedly connected at their longitudinal edges with longitudinal bottom flaps, and said end walls as well as said bottom flaps being extended at their ends with foldable locking flaps, each pair of flaps at the respective corners of the blank being provided to cooperate to lock the side walls to the end walls in the erected tray, the locking flaps of the end walls having substantially the same width as that of the end walls, and each end wall having at its lower edge an extension to form a locking tongue which at its outer end is formed With a projecting marginal end portion having substantially the same width between its ends as the width of said central bottom panel portion, the width of said locking tongue between its hinged connection and the end edge of said marginal end portion being greater than the distance between the end 'edge of said central bottom panel portion and the fold line between the adjacent top Wall portion and end wall.

6 References. Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1945 Williamson et a1. 229-34 1/1950 Buttery 229-34 

1. A CARTON TRAY MADE OF A SINGLE BLANK COMPRISING A BOTTOM, TWO SIDE WALLS AND TWO END WALLS, SAID BOTTOM COMPRISING A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL PORTION TANGENTIALLY CONNECTED WITH TWO INCLINED SIDE PANELS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID CENTRAL BOTTOM PORTION AND THE UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS, A TRANSVERSE SLIT AT EACH END OF SAID BOTTOM AND SPACED FROM THE ADJACENT END WALL TO LEAVE A TRANSVERSE TOP WALL PORTION EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS AND HINGEDLY CONNECTED THEREWITH ALONG FOLD LINES WHICH ARE OFFSET UPWARDLY RELATIVE TO THE FOLD LINES BETWEEN SAID SIDE PANELS 